US Environmental Policy Has Had Lasting Negative Impact on the Environment

US Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Against EPA Over Climate Change Policy Rollback

A group of US environmental advocacy organizations has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw a key 2009 climate change ruling. The “endangerment finding” established that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, and its removal will likely result in increased pollution, higher costs, and avoidable deaths.

The EPA supported the move, citing it as the “single largest deregulatory action in US history.” However, environmental groups argue that the decision will have severe consequences for human health and the environment. Peter Zalzal, associate vice president of clean air strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund, stated that repealing the Endangerment Finding “endangers all of us.”

The Trump administration’s revocation of the endangerment finding is part of a series of steps aimed at prioritizing deregulation, boosting fossil fuel production, and reversing climate regulations. This decision follows decades of US policy that have harmed the environment.

In 2009, President Barack Obama established the Endangerment Finding, which stated that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. Under this ruling, power plants were required to meet federal limits on carbon emissions or risk being shut down. The EPA used this finding as a basis for implementing policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The withdrawal of the Endangerment Finding will likely result in increased pollution from fossil fuel facilities, leading to air and water pollution in nearby communities. Environmental groups argue that this decision will amplify the dangers posed by natural disasters, such as heatwaves, storms, floods, and droughts, which are exacerbated by climate change.

The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration’s decision will harm the health and welfare of US citizens, while benefiting a small group of wealthy fossil fuel executives and shareholders.

Source: Al Jazeera